


Present Tense

by levitatethis



Series: Timelines (A Series of One Shots) [2]
Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-16
Updated: 2010-05-16
Packaged: 2017-10-09 12:02:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/87103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/levitatethis/pseuds/levitatethis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mohinder and Sylar finally come face to face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Present Tense

_Come down   
And waste away with me   
Down with me   
_**\-- Foo Fighters, _"Everlong"_**

_I've given all I can   
It's not enough   
I've given all I can   
But we're still on the payroll   
This is what you get   
This is what you get   
When you mess with us   
_**\-- Radiohead, _"Karma Police"_   
**  
Sylar does not immediately make himself known to Mohinder once he has stumbled upon him. For weeks he prefers to watch and follow him. He keeps meticulous notes about Mohinder's new life. Eventually it will all pay off. He will make certain of it. Sylar has no idea what Mohinder was up to before he found him. For all Sylar knows Mohinder has been doing exactly this – playing father to Molly Walker, the young girl with the wonderful ability to find other special people in the world.

Sylar watches Mohinder take her to school, run off to the library; do grocery shopping. On occasion he sees Mohinder give a guest lecture at the university but in light of his topic of discussion that invitation is rarely bestowed. Mostly it seems Mohinder uses the lab research facilities, which takes up most of his days before it is time to pick Molly up. It is all very domestic to Sylar.

The biggest surprise during this period is the discovery that Matt Parkman is now living in Mohinder's apartment as well. At first Sylar thought he was simply helping out on an occasional basis but soon the truth is quite clear. Every morning and every evening he is there. Mohinder and Parkman apparently raising Molly together.

_The Three Fucking Musketeers._

With no doubt about this unexpected situation Sylar finds his reaction to the surprising turn of events is

_Jealousy._

No. Why should he feel jealous of Parkman? If anyone would be jealous it would be Gabriel. That is one of the reasons he has been fighting extra hard to keep Gabriel back. He would be devastated. On the other hand Sylar feels

_Envious._

Parkman is living in the apartment he briefly shared with Mohinder. Parkman is most likely sleeping in the same sofa bed that Mohinder had offered him (oh, alright, Zane) when it was just the two of them making their way in the world. When they traveled together, and after that when Mohinder would work on his laptop in the apartment while Sylar kept him company, there was the sense they only had each other. The careful discussions they had over dinner or a cup of tea (knowing in retrospect that they both were gearing up to bring the other down) did not make the illusion of friendship less real. Even after all the shit hit the fan Sylar feels angry at how easily Mohinder seems to have replaced him with Parkman. Sylar knows he should be irreplaceable.

He knows Parkman has the ability to hear thoughts. It is not a power he particularly wants for himself but maybe he can do himself and Gabriel a favour.

_Focus. Do not think emotionally._

********** ********** ********** ********** **********

The silence is deafening.

Molly, eyes watering, stares at the pushpin. Neither Matt nor Mohinder want to be the first to speak but they know they have to deal with the threat now at hand.

"You'll need to take Molly somewhere safe," Mohinder finally offers up.

"No!" Molly cries out, "I don't want to leave you again!"

Mohinder sighs and reaches for Molly. She leaps from her chair into his lap, hugging him close.

"Molly, you know I would never leave you," Mohinder begins, "but to protect you, to protect all of us, I need to deal with this."

As Molly begins to cry into his chest he exchanges a look with Matt.

"Are you suggesting we leave now?" asks Matt.

"No." responds Mohinder, "We stick with the same daily routine. All this time I thought I saw him I was right. He's been watching us for weeks…months. I need to find out what he wants. For him to have survived that night and for this long means that someone or something is helping him. I'm not afraid he'll kill me if that's what's worrying –,"

"No offense but your death isn't exactly an issue," Matt says in an attempt to interject some humour in the discussion. "Now my death is another story. Don't forget he sent four bullets into me. At one time, mind you. For you he did a magic trick stopping the bullet."

Matt pauses for a moment before becoming serious again, "Mohinder, I'm not afraid he'll kill you. I'm afraid of what he'll do to you alive."

Molly hugs Mohinder tighter. He holds onto her and says nothing.

Hours later, after they have both managed to put her to sleep, Mohinder and Matt broach the subject again.

"In about four or five days you should both be gone," Mohinder begins.

"Sylar --," Matt starts to say but Mohinder interrupts him.

"I survived him once. I'll do it again."

"That's what worries me," Matt retorts, "he might see this as some sick game – playing with you. But this is your life. What about Molly? If she loses you --,"

He doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence before Mohinder responds firmly.

"I have to do this."

********** ********** ********** ********** **********

Over the next few days they pretend all is the same with the world. No observer would see what is happening. Each morning that Mohinder walks Molly to school she carries a bit more in her backpack. Matt does the same with his gym bag when he heads to work. They are slowly transplanting their lives, removing themselves from the apartment.

One day it is only Mohinder who returns home.

That night by himself for the first time in a long time he sits on the edge of his bed and contemplates.

Any day now Sylar will show up.

Mohinder glances at the clock on the wall and lets out a small chuckle.

_The watchmaker's son and the scientist's son. How did we ever end up like this?_

But there is no answer. And all that is left for him to do is sit and wait.

********** ********** ********** ********** **********

For three days Sylar has watched Mohinder be the only one to leave and return to the apartment. And for three days Sylar has stood across the street, ice cream in hand, promising himself that this will be the day he finally shows himself.

He has a specific plan in place. It will take time and the longer he puts it off the longer the entire process will be. He has to do things just right.

_Today._

He watches Mohinder leave one morning but instead of following him Sylar takes his first steps towards the apartment. He unlocks the front door with the flick of his hand. Stepping inside he begins a slow careful movement around the apartment. Not much has changed although now there are traces of Parkman and Molly scattered throughout. Sylar takes it all in, sight and sound. He inhales deeply. Memories course through every cell in his body. It feels like

_Home._

He makes himself comfortable on the sofa and waits. Time passes; shadows dance across the walls and a key finally clicks in the door. It swings open and a familiar figure enters the apartment.

_And so it begins._

"Hello Mohinder."

Mohinder shuts the door behind him. He has been expecting this moment yet seeing Sylar standing not fifteen feet from him he can hardly contain the shock on his face. Mohinder catches himself looking for a glimpse, a trace of …But the only person he sees is Sylar. He cannot stop the words that tumble out of his mouth.

"You're dead."

Sylar smirks and raises an eyebrow.

"Is that a poor observation or a threat, doctor?" he asks with amusement.

Mohinder simply stares with confusion on his face as his brain attempts to make sense of what he is seeing.

"I saw you die," he finally states.

Sylar slowly raises both arms up and turns the palms towards the ceiling, skyward.

"And then I was reborn," he intones.

Mohinder casually makes his way from the door to the kitchen. Sylar watches him closely as he opens the fridge door and retrieves a drink. Popping the top in an attempt to appear unfazed by the uncomfortable situation he finds himself in, Mohinder cuts to the chase.

"What exactly do you want?"

Sylar smiles before saying, "We have plenty of time for that. I think we should catch up first. Don't you? "

This is how their first reunion goes. Cautious conversation: apartment hasn't changed much, how long have you been back in the city, how is teaching going, vague questions with no real answers. It lasts about one hour before Sylar calls it a night. He promises to be back.

Again by himself Mohinder thinks. He notes that Sylar never mentioned Matt or Molly. Sylar _obviously _avoided mentioning them given the amount of information he revealed himself to already have on Mohinder. Given past experiences the omission of Molly is what raises a red flag for Mohinder.

This is how the conversations will go, everything but Molly. And when her name finally does come up, and Mohinder knows Sylar will have to be the one to say it first, that is when the gloves will come off and the charade will be over.


End file.
